IS THIS THE WAY TO SANTA FE

CADILLAC RANCH

I LEFT MY MARK

MIRACLE STAIRCASE?

NICE CAR - OR IS IT A ROCKETSHIP?

PUEBLO POW-WOW

NICE TOGS

We continued our journey through Texas by first paying a visit to Cadillac Ranch just west of Amarillo. This shrine to America's open road was produced by San Francisco artists in 1974 and comprises 10 upended Chevrolets spray-painted with graffiti. Anyone is allowed to spray more graffiti on the cars, so I did.

We saw large herds of cattle, the source of the famous beefsteaks we enjoyed the previous night, and the biggest array of windmills for generating power that I have ever seen. This part of Texas is referred to as the panhandle because of the thin strip of Oklahoma State above which makes the latter look like a cooking pan.

As we continued our way west towards Santa Fe, the cornfields and the plains populated with nodding donkeys (oil pumps) gave way to hills and rocky outcrops of golden sandstone. The road ran parallel to the Amtrak line for a considerable part of its length and we saw goods trains comprising a string of 3 locomotives pulling over 100 carriages. Just before leaving Texas for New Mexico we stopped at Adrian, regarded as the half-way point in Route 66. The place looked very run down.

We had a picnic lunch by the Blue Hole artesian well near Santa Rosa, New Mexico. It is 81 ft deep and 60 ft wide - big enough to swim in, as many people were. Indeed, it is a popular place to come scuba diving.

Santa Fe is not a city that you can see from a distance as the buildings are low, of adobe construction and painted brown to blend in with the environment. Our arrival here was like landing in another country. The Pueblo Indian residents are distinctive with their short stocky statures and black hair and dark skins. The city had a clean, comfortable, safe feel about it, perhaps helped by having a population of only 69,000. We were left to our own devices for a few hours and I visited the Loretto Chapel to see the 'miracle' spiral staircase which apparently remains in place even though there are no nails holding it up.

There also happened to be a car show in the City so I was able to watch the entrants drive around the central plaza in classic Chevrolets, Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles as well as more modern Audis, Maseratis and Ferraris.

We were staying in Santa Fe for a second night, so our tour leader, Damien, drove us to Taos for the day to see a Pueblo Indian pow-wow being held on reservation land. The Indian costumes were wonderfully elaborate and colourful, and I really enjoyed watching their tribal dances to the accompaniment of warbling and screeching and the loud beating of drums. They made a big thing of honouring their warriors, most of them these days having served with the US military. When I wanted to take photographs of them I was advised that my camera might steal their spirits, but if I gave them $10 it would be OK.

When it began to rain in the afternoon, I began to wonder what sort of dance they were doing!

GETTIN' MA KICKS

CRYSTAL BRIDGE AT MYRIAD GARDENS, OKLAHOMA CITY

MEMORIAL TO OKLAHOMA LAND RUSH

HERE PUSSY, PUSSY

COUNT DOWN TO CROSSING THE ROAD

TORNADO DEVASTATED AREA OF MOORE

DIARAMA AT THE ROUTE 66 MUSEUM

It's Tuesday 9th and we left Branson promptly at 9.00am for our 328 mile drive to Oklahoma City. Our group are getting on well, which is just as well given that we have a total of 14 days together.

The terrain becomes flatter as we drive through what remains of Missouri, cross a tiny corner of Kansas and finally enter into Oklahoma State. Our stops along the way include lunch at the Totem Pole Park near Foyil where they boast of having the tallest totem pole in the world, another at Catoosa to see the giant whale model and finally  'Pops' in Arcadia where they sell over 650 different varieties of soda. With an enormous pop bottle outside it's hard to miss. Everything in America seems to be characterised by huge size.

Corn and wheat production appear to give way cattle as we travel west, and the grass seems surprisingly green given that temperatures have now risen to a sweltering 105 degrees F.

We arrive at the Sheraton Hotel in Oklahoma City then go out for supper at the nearby Tapwerks restaurant in Bricktown with its 100 varieties of beer on tap.

Next morning is a free day, so I head off alone to explore the city. I soon arrive at the beautiful Myriad Botanical Gardens, with its impressive Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory over a large pond. I noted that the carp in the pond seemed to follow the ducks around.

Later I visited the Oklahoma National Memorial on the site of the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building which was destroyed in the 1995 bombing. This remains the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil perpetrated by an American citizen. The area where the building stood is now populated by 168 empty chairs, each inscribed with the name of a victim.

After the above, I found it slightly unnerving when crossing roads. Most US cities seem to have pedestrian crossing signs with computerised voices which count down the remaining time to cross ...6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... I kept imagining that 'BOOM' would come next.

After that I wondered around the Bricktown Canal, with the substantial monument to the 1889 'land rush' which led to the foundation of Oklahoma City and State. I also stopped by the Bass Pro Drive sports shop where I could make faces at the large catfish in the aquarium and review the range of guns for sale.

I was able to survey where I had walked later that evening from the 49th floor of the Devon Tower, tallest building in the City.

After our second night in Oklahoma City we took a detour south from Route 66 to visit Moore, the district of Oklahoma City that was hit by a tornado on May 20 this year. The Moore community are right in tornado alley and this is the 5th tornado to have hit them in 15 years, and not the worst. We saw homes that had lost roofs and many were completely destroyed. The track taken by the tornado was evident, with houses just a few hundred yards either side apparently untouched.

Our intended destination for the day was Amarillo, Texas, but along the way we visited the 'official' Route 66 Museum in Clinton (not named after the former US President), and also Texola, a town which once thrived when Route 66 was the main highway through it, but became a ghost town when the interstate roads were built and Route 66 was finally decommissioned in 1985.

Route 66 was realigned (i.e. re-routed) many times, but from the mid-1950's it went into decline as it was gradually replaced the new interstate highways. Many parts of the original Route 66 are now impassable so we frequently had to use these interstate roads instead.

Shortly after entering Texas we visited the Devil's Rope Museum in McLean, which explained the history of barbed wire. It also had an excellent display about the ecological disaster that occurred in this central region of America in the 1930's known as the dust bowl. The ploughing of fields removed the grass that held the soil together. This, combined with drought conditions led to choking dust storms and the complete collapse in farming. The huge migration of people to the West Coast along Route 66 is described in Steinbeck's 'The Grapes of Wrath'.

After checking into our Amarillo hotel for the evening, we were all chauffeured to The Big Texan Steak Ranch to enjoy what was, in my view, one of the best steak meals I have ever eaten.

For those with a huge appetite, they offer a massive 72 oz steak meal which, if you can eat it all in 1 hour, you get it for free. We watched 3 people try and fail.

THE MOTHER ROAD

START POINT IN CHICAGO

THE GEMINI GIANT

LINCOLN'S TOMB

PASS THE KETCHUP, JOY

THE GATEWAY ARCH

WE HAPPY BAND OF TRAVELLERS

I was in the hotel lobby at 7.30am to meet Damien, our group leader and driver, and my travel companions, of whom there were just 3; couple Colin and Annmaree, and Winston. Another couple, Keith and Joy would be joining us that evening in Springfield. Other than Damien and me, everyone was Australian. I hoped they wouldn't be whingers like those poms I keep hearing about.

After an introductory briefing we initially drove to the start point of our 2,200 mile Route 66 trip. Our transport is a white Ford van with a large trailer for our luggage. With 13 passenger seats, the 6 of us would be very comfortable.

We then headed towards Springfield, Illinois where we would spend the night. Along the way we stopped for pictures at the Launching Pad cafe which is publicised by the huge figure of the Gemini Giant in Wilmington. Since the cafe was closed, perhaps the publicity didn't work?

After another stop at Funk's Grove to taste their Maple Sirup (yes, the real stuff is apparently spelt this way), we had lunch at Palms Grill Cafe in Atlanta. Opposite the cafe was 'Tall Paul' another giant at the side of the road.

After our night in Springfield, we visited the pre-presidency home of its most famous son, Abraham Lincoln, and then his Tomb. The latter was impressive and larger than many churches.

We also saw some of the dafter landmarks along the way such as the world's largest ketchup (alternatively spelt Catsup) bottle in Collinsville. Particularly fun was the tour of the massive Budweiser factory in St. Louis, Missouri, especially the beer sampling session at the end.

After a comfortable night in the Drury Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, which unusually provides free food and drink, Winston and I walked to the famous 'Gateway Arch' and associated Museum commemorating the westward expansion of the US. Getting to the top of the 630 foot arch involved squeezing 5 people into a tiny cylindrical elevator capsule. It was only when we got to the top that Winston mentioned that he suffered from claustrophobia.

The group were then driven to Meramec Caverns in Stanton which Jesse James used as a hideout. Since I have explored several cave systems before, I chose to wander around the park while everyone else went down. I ended up chatting to a group of chefs enjoying their day off. Gordon Ramsey hosts a cooking program called Hell's Kitchen in the States. We both agreed how awful he is.

At Lebanon we stopped for a quick look around the Route 66 Museum, but our final destination for the day was Branson, Missouri.

Although Branson has a population of just 10,000, it seemed much larger. It was a bit like a mini Las Vegas with shows and entertainment everywhere. Large signs inviting visitors to go to this show or that show appeared alongside the road well before we arrived in town. Damien had booked us in for an evening performance of Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, which mainly comprised a display of horsemanship performed by riders in Yankee and Confederate uniforms. The audience had to choose which side they supported - we cheered the Yankees and booed the Confederates - but, unlike reality, it was a draw in the end and everyone was happy. The evening finished with a recorded projection of Dolly singing Star Spangled Banner. We didn't see the real Dolly though.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

REFLECTING AT THE CLOUD GATE SCULPTURE

BASE OF THE WILLIS TOWER

FIREWORKS CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE DAY

VIEW OF CHICAGO FROM LAKEFRONT TRAIL

VIEW FROM HANCOCK TOWER

DAVE, ME AND KEVIN AT HANCOCK TOWER

Chicago has a nice vibe to it.

After checking into the hostel, I headed directly for Lake Michigan, then walked north along the waterfront to Navy Pier. The Windy City was living up to its name as there was a nice cool breeze coming off the Lake, which made walking pleasant in spite of the heat (although there is another more amusing suggestion that the name Windy City refers to the verbose rhetoric of the local politicians). The Pier was busy with people and street performers, and there were lots of boats out too.

I walked to Millennium Park to see the fantastic Pritzker Outdoor Music Pavilion and the Cloud Gate sculpture (the huge shiny stainless steel bean) which has become an iconic feature of modern Chicago.

In the evening I went to the top of the 103-floor Willis Tower (previously the Sears Tower) where I met Karen from Taiwan who was also travelling alone. Her real name is Hsu Sz Yu, but that is unpronounceable unless you are Taiwanese. After taking photographs of each other on the glass-floored viewing platform known as the Skyledge, we teamed up for the rest of the evening to share food and watch the 4th of July firework display. Because of the huge crowds, the Police stopped us from getting onto the Navy Pier where it was being held, but we still got a good view from further away.

Next morning I took the train to the DuSable Museum of African American History. The lady at the hostel warned me to "take care" as I was going into a black area, but "...I should be alright because the gangs don't usually come out during the day". Oh, comforting! I checked the statistics and found that the number of murders in Chicago last year was 532, compared to less than 100 in London. Most of Chicago's victims are young blacks who get murdered by other young blacks. There was even a gallery devoted to the gang problem in the DuSable.

I walked the 8 mile distance along the Michigan Lakefront Trail back to the hostel, collected my luggage and carried it to the Red Roof Hotel on the other side of the Chicago River. This is where my Route 66 trip would be leaving from next morning.

An evening stroll took me to the Hancock Tower, which has a bar on its 96th floor which offers spectacular views of Chicago. I met Kevin and Dave whilst we were waiting for the elevator and we ended up sharing a table in the bar. Chatting with them, I learned all sorts of new stuff about the USA as we covered subjects such as racial issues, the gun laws, labour practices, wages, social support systems and cost of living differences between the USA and the UK. It was past 1.00am by the time I got back to the Hotel and I had an early start in the morning.

GRACELAND

ELVIS'S WARDROBE

OTHER RESIDENTS OF MEMPHIS

DAVE, ME, CLAIRE, SKIP AND CHOOCH

RAIL COMPANION TARA

I doubt if it's possible to come to Memphis without feeling compelled to visit Graceland, where Elvis Presley lived, died and is now buried. The mansion is a 15 minute bus ride from Downtown Memphis, and is just what you might expect for a rock star - big, flashy and perhaps a little excessive. The lounge had 3 TV's in it, all next to each other.

On the other side of the road is a theme park with even more Elvis memorabilia, including a car collection and his two private planes - well, airliners really.

Naturally there are lots of opportunities to spend money. Elvis is apparently generating more of it now than he ever did in his lifetime.

For the rest of the day I chilled out in Downtown Memphis. While I sat eating in Court Square, I was surrounded by so many squirrels I thought I was about to be mugged. Urban grey squirrels desensitised to humans seem to be commonplace in the USA.

To continue my journey to Chicago, I needed to catch the 'City of New Orleans' train at 10.40pm. Grawemeyer's Bar was just near the Amtrak terminal so I had a cold beer whilst waiting and was befriended by Dave, Claire, Skip and Chooch, who regularly socialise here.

The train was cold again. I have come to the conclusion that because the railways mostly transport goods, they don't have a 'human' category. The nearest they have is 'meat' so they refrigerate us. The seats are fine for sitting in but uncomfortable for sleeping in so I didn't have a very good night.

At sunrise I went to the observation car with its outward-facing seats and windows in the roof. It was a hive of social activity, which helped pass the time more quickly until we finally arrived in Chicago at 9.00am on July 4th - Independence Day. I am expecting to have a good time.

HOME OF THE BLUES

.....and also the birthplace of rock and roll.

THE PEABODY DUCKS

WHERE MARTIN LUTHER KING WAS ASSASSINATED

JACQUELINE SMITH STILL PROTESTIN'

BOB DYLAN AND HIS BAND

My first visit of the day was to the Peabody Hotel to see the famous Peabody ducks. Their $200,000 palace (i.e. enclosure) is on the roof of the 14-floor Hotel, but at exactly 11.00am each morning they are escorted to the lift (sorry, elevator) by the 'Duckmaster' and taken to the lobby where they spend the rest of the day swimming around the marble fountain. They are escorted back up to the roof at 5.00pm. Other than unlocking the enclosure and pressing the lift button, the Duckmaster didn't have much to do as the ducks knew just where they were going. They waddled so fast that it was difficult keeping up with them.

I visited the store/workshop of St. Blues guitar-makers. I hadn't heard of the make before, but Clapton and Bono seem to have done. From there I walked to Sun Studios where Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash recorded. Then I took a ride along the Mississippi riverside on one of the clackety trolleybuses.

An interesting encounter occurred when I visited the Lorraine Motel where the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated. The Motel is now a National Civil Rights Museum, and they are in the process of developing it further, but not everyone seems to be impressed by the idea.

Black lady Jacqueline Smith has been making her own civil rights protest for over 25 years from her pitch by the Lorraine Motel sign. She believes that the area surrounding the Motel has become gentrified, forcing out locals, mostly black, because they cannot afford the increased rents. She thinks that all the money spent on the Museum should be used to provide affordable housing for the community. She is a spirited individual who is clearly committed to her campaign and, whilst I know nothing of the local politics, I suspect she may have a point. I gave her $5 for her cause, but when she heard I hadn't eaten yet she offered it back.

In the evening I finally took my stroll along Beale Street but, compared to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, it seemed tame. Beale Street was clearly also a hunting ground for beggars so, after being asked if I could spare a buck 5 times in less than 20 minutes, I decided to head for the nearby Autozone Sports Park where I was told Bob Dylan was playing.

It wasn't hard to find the Park - I just followed the sound of the music. As I stood outside the steel fence hoping to get a glimpse of the stage, someone inside pushed a ticket through the bars into my hand and told me to come on in. So I did.

The ticket got me right to the front for the last half dozen numbers of the evening. I hope Mr Dylan appreciated me coming all the way from England to hear him.

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

BUSY MEMPHIS TERMINAL

THAT'LL BE 8,300 LITRES OF DIESEL PLEASE

Monday 1st July already and I've now been in the USA for two whole weeks. Today, I take the Amtrak 'City of New Orleans' train to Memphis, a mere 8 hours 15 minutes away.

I visited the National World War II Museum, just down the street from Union Passenger Terminal, whilst waiting for my 1.45pm departure. Each day there are only two Amtrak arrivals and two departures from the Terminal, which doesn't seem much considering the size of the building.

So what did I think of New Orleans?

Well, although my initial impressions were poor, they did improve as I explored other parts of the city. In general, however, I did not find the locals to be as warm or friendly as I have in the other places in the USA. I got the impression that, except in tourist areas, visitors and locals largely ignore each other.

Sadly, I saw my first incidence of rudeness near Jackson Square. A stocky man, probably in his 40's, was bellowing at any pedestrians who got in his way as he cycled along the pedestrianised promenade. As soon he opened his mouth to say "...get out my way, pal" I knew he was a Brit. I felt ashamed. We really need ambassadors like him!

In summary, New Orleans has a lot of history and a lot of culture. It is also a great place to party. For me, however, it did not seem to radiate much warmth. What brief friendships I made were all in the hostel. Although black people are in the majority it is evident that most of the wealth and power is in the hands of the white population. I was approached several times by people asking me for money and not one of them was white. I have now got into the habit of keeping a pocketful of dollar bills handy. Coming to New Orleans has been very educational for me, and I am glad that it is recovering from the Katrina disaster, but I have no desire to return.

During most of my train journey I was able to watch America pass by from the observation car on the upper level of the double-decker carriage. I noted that outside of the big urban areas, few houses had fences between them. I suppose that everyone has so much space that border disputes are infrequent. I also noted that the train's hooter sounded frequently and discovered that this was a legal requirement at every crossing, of which there were many. Note that few crossings have gates.

With me in the observation car was a group of raucous men and women enjoying a game of cards. They were wearing tee-shirts with 'Drifting On A Memory' written on the back. The fronts said 'Carver High School, Class of 1968, 45th Class Reunion'. They were all black. I imagine that schools were segregated then.

When I reached Memphis it was dark and I had to walk roughly a mile to the Hotel. As I passed by the famous Beale Street, the night's merriments were in full swing. I received yet another request for money from a black gentleman. He was friendly enough, so I made him work for his cash by escorting me to the hotel door. Once I had checked in I was too tired to walk back to Beale Street - that can wait until tomorrow.